Words from the Warehouse: September 2008

This will be the last entry on this blog under the name "Words From The Warehouse." Tomorrow will be the first official Sunday where there is no Axios. We will be attending The Point Church where my friend, Brian Jones, is the pastor. This doesn't mean that I am ending this blog or leaving the "blogoshere" but it does means that the next time I post, this blog will take on another look. It marks the ending of one stage of my life and the beginning of a new one. With this blog, my life has literally become an open book and the next chapter is about to be written. If I were to write an autobiography, the chapters may look like this:

Chapter 1 - Indiana Born: Once a Hoosier Always a Hoosier (1960-1978)

I loved being raised in Indianapolis, IN. I am not a Bulldog or a Volunteer nor will I become whatever a Colorado person is but I am and always will be (even though I have not lived there in 30 years) a Hoosier. In the Bible, people were always identified by birthplace, parent and vocation. I can proudly say that my father's name is Nolan, a Kroger Dairy man from Indianapolis. I am his son and a product of that environment. It is a big part of who I am and the reason I always shop at Kroger.

Chapter 2 - Chattanooga, TN: Class Rooms and Dorm Rooms (1978-1984)

Some of the best times of my life were spent at Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga. I graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Bible and went on to Seminary there. I finished my graduate work in 1984 but did not officially graduate with my Masters of Religious Education until 1986. Some of the best friends I have ever had came from this chapter of my life especially my three brothers: Tim Shelton, Mark Trammell and David Snow. I loved being on my own, meeting a whole new group of people, and opening up my eyes to the world around me. It was a great time.

Chapter 3 - Dark Years and Wilderness Wanderings (1984-1986)

Without going into any detail, all my hopes and dreams and my calling came to a sudden stop shortly after I left Tennessee. All that I had ever wanted to be, the thing that I felt called to do, what I had studied and prepared for, was to become a Youth Pastor and it seemed like that was not going to happen. I remember talking to God about Romans 8:28 and telling Him that I had Him beat on this situation. Fortunately, this wasn't the last chapter of my story and God's promise proved to be true. Here's the subpoints to this chapter:
Geigertown, PA: Where the Wheels Came Off
Chicago, IL: A Lot of Fun But Still Falling Apart
Atlanta, GA: The Rebuilding Begins
Ft. Lauderdale: The Move I Didn't Make
Woodstock, GA: Johnny Hunt and the Darkness Is Lifted

Chapter 4 - Woodstock\Canton, GA: New Life, True Love, and Fulfilled Dreams (1986-2002)

The first time I went to First Baptist Woodstock, God spoke to me and the dark years ended as suddenly as they began. Johnny got me active in the Youth Department. I met my true love in 1988 and married Pattie in 1989 and instantly became the father of three. My dream of becoming a Youth Pastor became a reality in 1990. I served as Youth Pastor and eventually, Associate Pastor, at the Hopewell Baptist Church in Canton for 12 years. They were good years, great memories, wonderful people, and I will always be grateful to Pastor Norman Hunt for giving me that opportunity.

Chapter 5 - Holly Springs: Axios and a New Call (2002-2008)
In 2000 I began to sense God leading me out of youth ministry. Pattie and I publicly surrendered to a new calling but we were not sure what that calling was. We ended up staying at Hopewell for 2 more years as Associate Pastor until it was evident that it was time to move on. It was never my intention to start a church and I was hesitant to say that I wanted to be a Pastor but much like Paul, when he was at a crossroads and watched God block every effort until he received a vision for a new direction, the vision for Axios was birthed by process of elimination. I knew that I didn't want to assume a role as a "staff" person again and I felt no inclination to move from this area and I saw no churches that were compatible with the vision God was giving me concerning church but I had a group of people ready to follow my leadership. So we decided to start Axios and God miraculously provided the means and the place and planted us in Holly Springs. He gave me a heart for the town and gave us six wonderful years with the ups and downs of church planting for which I will always be grateful.

Chapter 6 - Denver, CO: The Adventure of a Lifetime? (2008-?)
When we started Axios, I always had a sense that the 5 year mark would be significant. I didn't know what would happen at that mark but I felt that we would know if we had succeeded or if it would be time to say "It's been great but its time to move on." When that day came, it was not clear what God was doing. There was plenty of good things happening and significant victories being won but by Easter of this year it was clear that the latter of the two was coming true. The swiftness of the way things transpired following Easter literally felt like God was pulling the plug on this ministry and on the first Sunday in June, 6 years almost to the day of our first service, we held our last service in the warehouse. But as swiftly as Axios was coming to a close, God was opening a new door in Colorado. I believe that God used these years to prepare me for what is to come. I do not know if Colorado is my final destination or just a stepping stone to the significant ministry God has ordained for me to do. But I am grateful that there is still another chapter to write and that God has counted me worthy (axios) of this new call.

Thanks to all of my family and friends that have followed this blog and stayed in contact with me through this medium. You can follow this Colorado chapter of my life with my next blog. Check back at this blog for a link to my next blog. Hopefully it will be up and running by Wed, Sept 10.